A SEAMLESS run of football hasn’t been on the cards for Harrison Petty in recent years.

The 25-year-old has been unlucky in injury, both 2023 and 2024 seeing him spend time on the sidelines, two years interrupted by feet concerns.

As Petty heads into 2025, he’s hopeful that this year will different.

Last November saw him return to training a week prior to the rest of the playing group, opting to come back early alongside the younger cohort of Demons.

Feeling fit and ready to take on the year ahead, he was eager to put himself in the best position possible in his first full pre-season since 2022.

“I’m feeling really good, I’m finally able to actually do some pre-season training for once,” Petty said.

It's good to be fit and ready to go for this year.

“I wanted to try and get back into the football side of things as soon as possible.

“Last year coming off my feet injuries, I just wanted to get involved with the boys, get that connection back and start working hard.”

While he’s no stranger to it, this pre-season has also seen Petty take on responsibility across multiple roles at either end of the ground. 

Having spent much of his AFL career as a defender, last year he made a move to the forward line. He managed nine goals from 20 games in his first full season inside 50. 

Reflecting on 2024, Petty was candid when looking back, honest in his struggles with injury and how that affected his on-field performances.

“I felt like I started really slow coming off my injuries,” Petty said. 

“There were weeks where I was struggling just to even get some practice in for kicking, because my feet were hurting too much, so being back earlier this year with no injuries, it's been great.

“I've been doing some goal-kicking practice whenever I can, [I'm also] training down with the backs now and building that cohesion with everyone down there, that's been great.”

Now in somewhat of a dual-role, training as both a forward and a defender, Petty is enjoying the mix-up in positions and with a new-found appreciation for an injury-free pre-season, it's this enjoyment that he's soaking up the most. 

“They’re not too dissimilar in positions,” Petty said. 

"I played a little bit of school footy up forward, growing up I was down back, so I enjoy playing both.

It's a change up in training as well. So you're not always doing the exact same thing over and over again.

"I’m just happy to play wherever Goody wants me to play and I'm just happy to be out on the park having fun with my mates."

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